Delhi Ashram Scandal: Photos Of Women, Chats Found On Godman’s Phone; 2 Female Aides Arrested
The investigation into the Delhi ashram sexual assault case has intensified with the arrest of two female accomplices of the self-styled godman, Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati, who stands accused of sexually harassing 17 women. The Delhi Police took the two women into custody and are currently interrogating them for their role in the scandal. Sources within the police force have indicated that Chaitanyananda himself has been uncooperative during questioning,
often providing misleading information to the investigators.As the probe continues, police have uncovered incriminating evidence from one of the godman’s mobile phones, which contained chat conversations with numerous women and screenshots of their profile pictures. This development comes after Chaitanyananda was apprehended from Hotel First in Agra’s Taj Ganj area at around 3:30 am on Sunday and brought to the Vasant Kunj Police Station in Delhi. A city court subsequently remanded him to five-day police custody.The allegations against Chaitanyananda are severe, centering on the molestation of 17 female students at a private institute in Vasant Kunj.
He had allegedly been sending lewd and inappropriate messages to the young women and had been on the run for nearly two months before his arrest. The investigation has also exposed a web of financial and fraudulent activities. Police recovered forged visiting cards, with one falsely identifying him as a Permanent Ambassador of the United Nations and another as an Indian Special Envoy of BRICS. Alongside charges of sexual harassment, he is accused of significant financial misappropriation. Authorities report that he withdrew approximately Rs 60 lakh after fleeing and is suspected of having misappropriated a total sum exceeding Rs 30 crore.
Investigators have noted that Chaitanyananda appeared to target women from economically weaker backgrounds. The first formal complaint was lodged on August 4 at the Vasant Kunj North Police Station, followed by another from an Indian Air Force officer, as many students at the institute were daughters of Air Force personnel. This prompted a letter from the Air Force headquarters to the institute, leading its Governing Council to hold a virtual meeting with over 30 female students on August 3. Police recorded the statements of 32 students, with 17 explicitly accusing Chaitanyananda of using abusive language, sending obscene messages, and making unwanted physical advances.
Students recounted disturbing instances where he would ask intrusive questions about their personal and sexual lives, send messages like “Baby, I love you,” and threaten them with suspension or expulsion if they did not comply with his demands. This is not the first time such allegations have surfaced, as records show two prior molestation cases were filed against him in 2009 and 2016.
